Raynard JacksonWhen the Boy Scouts of America’s leadership voted to allow openly homosexual kids to become Boy Scouts, they in that one act, sold their souls to the devil. Consequently, there will be hell to pay as a result of that bone-head decision.

Making matters worse, they decided to continue to enforce their policy of not allowing participation by openly homosexual adults as troop leaders. In its bylaws, the BSA has for more than 100 years precluded homosexuals, atheists, and agnostics from being involved with the Scouts. In recent years, pro-homosexual activists have increased pressure on the Scouts to rescind the policy and they won the vote with more than 60 percent of the 1,400 eligible voters supporting the new policy.

For the moment, let’s remove the issue of homosexuality from this conversation and instead focus on the underlying principles – or lack of principles – involved in this debate.

According to the Scouts’ vision statement, “The BSA goal is to train youth in responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance through participation in a wide range of outdoor activities, educational programs, and, at older age levels, career-oriented programs in partnership with community organizations. For younger members, the Scout method is part of the program to inculcate typical Scouting values such as trustworthiness, good citizenship, and outdoors skills, through a variety of activities such as camping, aquatics, and hiking.”

How can you train youth in responsible citizenship, character development and self-reliance when you have adult cowards voting to shift the group’s moral compass to make radical homosexuals feel good?

According to news reports, the BSA hired a polling company to gauge the level of support from kids and adult leaders within the scouts. What decent parent would allow their kid to be polled on sex and sexuality at the ripe old age of 12 or 15?

You don’t give kids choices at that age, you give them direction. Kids should not be used by adults as pawns in an adult game perpetrated by immoral homosexual activists.

Furthermore, when did morals, values, and beliefs become subject to the latest opinion poll or political whim? For more than 100 years, the BSA has been very clear in its position excluding homosexuality, atheism, and agnosticism.

It is estimated that gays account for 2 percent of the U.S. population. Assuming that percentage applies to youth as well, that means the BSA has decided to make 98 percent of its troop members uncomfortable in order to satisfy the perverted needs of 2 percent?

As I predicted, less than 16 hours after the scouts changed their policy, The Secular Coalition of America issued a press release under the title: “Atheists Disappointed with Boy Scouts’ Continued Discrimination Policy.”

It began, “The Secular Coalition for America today said the Boy Scouts’ recent decision to allow openly gay boys is a positive step in the right direction, but does not go far enough. The SCA expressed disappointment that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has decided to continue its policy of discrimination against atheists and gay Scout leaders. On Thursday, Boy Scouts leaders voted to open their ranks to openly gay boys for the first time. However, the Scouts’ longstanding ban on atheists and gay adults remains.”

Edwina Rogers, executive director of the Secular Coalition for America said: “Discrimination is wrong – whether it’s directed at children or adults, atheists or the religious. We will continue to encourage the Scouts to address the full range of discrimination against atheists and LGBT adults.”

I happen to agree with Rogers’ claim of discrimination, though not for the same reasons. The BSA’s bylaws preclude three groups from participation—homosexuals, atheists, and agnostics. In order to be fair, you should not admit one of the banned groups and not the others. This is indeed rank discrimination.

Is this the lesson the BSA wants to teach our children? Do we want to say some discrimination is ok, if a large segment of the public agrees? How do you look into the eyes of our young people and for 100 years tell that generation that the beliefs and behavior of homosexuals, atheists, and agnostics are incompatible with Christian values and then suddenly reverse youself and say, “Oooops, never mind?”

Each Scout took a pledge, “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country.”

By walking away from its core principles, Scout leaders did not do their best – to God or our country.

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.-based public relations/government affairs firm. He can be reached through his Web site, www.raynardjackson.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at raynard1223.